Northwestern Star Receiving Interest from Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings
Four months after a foot injury prematurely ended his senior season at Northwestern, Brooks Barnhizer is advancing into the next stage of his career.
Despite not yet being medically cleared, Barnhizer was invited to the G League Elite Camp in mid-May. He was able to meet with NBA teams at the Chicago event, and Barnhizer has now parlayed the experience into a pair of pre-draft workouts with Western Conference teams.
According to Rookie Wire reporter Cody Taylor, Barnhizer worked out for the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday among a group that also included Wisconsin's Steven Crowl and North Carolina's RJ Davis. Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee also reported that Barnhizer would be one of six prospects attending a pre-draft workout with the Sacramento Kings on Thursday.
Denver would be an intriguing landing spot for Barnhizer. The Nuggets' depth struggled in this year's NBA Playoffs, and with three players on max contracts in Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., it is paramount that Denver finds role-players on cheap undrafted free agent contracts.
Barnhizer struggled to shoot the three last year, which would be a crucial skill to have alongside a phenomenal passer like Jokic. However, the former Wildcat is both a capable on-ball defender and a slasher on offense, and those traits could earn him playing time early on in Denver. Barnhizer hustles on every play and could play a similar role to Christian Braun, who is due for a large payday soon.
The Kings have key starters like Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk under contract for the foreseeable future, but seven rotation and bench players are set to hit either unrestricted or restricted free agency this offseason. Sacramento has just one draft pick at No. 42 overall, and Barnhizer could join a physical, downhill unit that is looking to find its identity after trading De'Aaron Fox.
In an injury-shortened senior season in which he played 17 games, Barnhizer set career highs by averaging 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game at Northwestern. The Lafayette, Indiana, native played in 96 games over four years in Evanston.
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Gavin Dorsey is the Lead Writer for Northwestern Wildcats On SI and covers a handful of other teams in the On SI network. Before joining On SI in February 2025, he wrote for the Star Tribune and Inside NU while broadcasting college sports for both radio and television. Dorsey is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, where he also studied psychology. In his free time, he enjoys running and being outdoors. Dorsey is currently a freelance writer for the Associated Press, covering Chicago area sports teams.